


A Night At the Opera

by ElectraRhodes



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 11:09:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11462346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectraRhodes/pseuds/ElectraRhodes
Summary: Hannibal manipulates Will into attending the opera with him. Or at least, he thinks he does...(Migrated from trash prompts to deal with Soldier)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OfDvorakAndDastardlySchemes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfDvorakAndDastardlySchemes/gifts).



Will tries hard to make no eye contact with anyone in the lab. If he's really lucky he might make it out of here with minimal eye contact, no hallucinations, no inappropriate thoughts about certain colleagues, and no one shouting at him.

He runs a hand across his tired eyes and through his unruly hair. Damn it all, he wishes himself to somewhere warm and with umbrella drinks and maybe a sun lounger and decent surf-fishing? He maybe half smiles to himself.

"Will, are you with us or does something more interesting have your attention?"

Will brings his 'attention' back into the room,

"Sorry Jack. Just. Yeah. I'm on it. Sorry"

"You better be. Where are we?"

The conversation carries on and Will makes a good effort at feigning presence and intelligence. Hmm. Umbrella drinks. Sun lounger. Maybe someone with really good hands just massaging some oil into his shoulders, and down his back and over the swell of his ar...

"Will? Goddamit. What the fuck is the matter with you?"

"Yeah, Jack sorry, Just you know, bit tired."

Everyone looks at him and he feels himself heat a little,

"Yeah. I know. Everyone is. Just sayin what we're all thinking"

There's a collective exhalation. Actually Will is right. They're all a bit tired and out of sorts. Even Hannibal's tie and pocket square seem to actually match which is so unusual Will had wondered if he was maybe a bit under the weather.

"Yeah, alright then. Fair point. I want you all to take off. Come back after the weekend. Take a breather. Go on"

It takes perhaps twelve seconds for it to register that Jack is letting them off for good behaviour (actually bad behaviour, but whatever). There's almost a dash for the lab door. In the end Will is actually left with Jack and Hannibal and three cooling corpses. Will sighs,

"I'll put them back. You two get going. Take your own advice Jack, live a little"

He sets to with the trolleys and drawers. And accepts Hannibal's silent assistance. Will glances at him,

"You ok? You seem a bit, I'm not sure, something?"

"I apologise. I'm a little pre-occupied."

Will gives him a look,

"Alright then, I'll bite, what's up doc?"

If Hannibal recognises the cultural reference he makes no comment on it, just frowns minutely.

"It's not important Will. Just something small. I shouldn't have mentioned it"

Will rolls his eyes, seriously? Blood out of a stone.

"Come on. You can tell me. I tell you most of everything!"

"That's different. My function is to offer you support"

"Nice try, Hannibal, you're always saying you're my friend, come on then, share. It's what friends do"

"I wouldn't wish to presume"

"I'm telling you to presume, alright?"

Hannibal sniffs,

"Jesus Christ and butter beans on toast tell me!"

"I apologise. I am used to our conversations tending in particular directions. It had not occurred to me to burden you thus"

"Hannibal"

Will stops then and waits. He is, after all, a good fisherman. It's Hannibal who gives in first,

"A friend who was to come to the opera with me tomorrow evening has had to cancel. It's too late to return the spare. And Alana both hates opera and is busy so can't even assist with what I believe she called a 'pity date'"

Will winces, that's pretty full on even for Alana. But, ouch!

"Hey, no sweat. Tomorrow? I can come. I've nothing special on. Let me just check my busy social calendar"

He makes like he is consulting an extensive mental list,

"Not a thing. How about it? You'll have to lend me something to wear, the last time I wore a tux. Well. Actually I'd need a few drinks inside me before I told even you that story"

Will chuckles and blushes a little, shakes his head when he sees a look of intrigue on Hannibal's face

"So, what? Do you want me to come round early so you can find something?"

"Actually, I have an appointment with my own tailor tomorrow. Perhaps she has something that might suit?"

"Really? Ok. Your show. What time and where?"

"10:30 at my home? We might as well have coffee before we start"

"Ok then. 10:30 tomorrow. I'll be all yours"

He slams the last refrigerator door closed and locks it. Hannibal smiles,

"That's so kind Will thank you. Perhaps you'd let me make you something light this evening as a proper thank you. You'd be doing me a favour really. I made too much mousse yesterday, it must be eaten. It'd be such a waste"

"Salmon mousse or that amazing chocolate thing you do?"

"Both, as it happens"

"Why are we still here?"

Hannibal smiles,

"I really couldn't say, after you dear Will"


	2. Chapter 2

In the morning Will feeds the dogs whistling as he does so. He tries not to chuckle to himself. Decides there's of course no one to hear or care and the dogs won't mind and lets rip a real rib tickler of a laugh.

Hannibal? So transparent! Really? God.

He carries on smiling as he shakes his head. After a shower and a careful scruff manipulation of his own he goes to one of his closets upstairs. Hmmm. Those khakis and that button down. Colours are good. Fit is good. The tailor will appreciate he's not a total numpty and a Hannibal will appreciate. Well, pretty much everything. The fit of the pants don't leave much to the imagination.

After another half an hour of faffing around he takes the medication he's been prescribed for the encephalitis. Yeah. Thanks for that. Can anyone spell 'empath'? There's a reason he gets the shakes guys, he knows, KNOWS dammit, what you're thinking! Yeah you too, Dr Surgeon Psychiatrist Murder Punk.

Just before 10:30 he's knocking on Hannibal's Baltimore door and getting his face and brain back under control, Hannibal opens the door and inhales and smiles and Will is pretty sure he's nailed it. The blue of the shirt really does things for him.

"Hey, Hanni..Dr Lecter.. Hannibal, good morning. Here I am. On time and everything. I think. Am I?"

He gets just the right amount of anxious into his voice and Hannibal smiles and opens the door wider.

"Perfectly. Come in Will, perhaps just coffee and something very small before we depart?"

"Sounds great. I'm totally in your hands"

Hannibal has a little private smirk to himself. He soon will be!

.....................

"Dr Lecter, he is very pretty non?"

"He is. Though his choice in clothes is bordering on the criminal"

"I thought you said he 'unted them?"

"He does. Probably why the clothes work so well, he's excellently camouflaged!"

Hannibal and his tailor Madame Pomfrey smile conspiratorially,

"Ze colour is good no?"

"That's true. And actually the khakis today were acceptable"

"Better than that I think"

She smiles again. 

"Still, something for this evening? It's not much time Hannibal."

"I have every confidence in you"

"Oh be quiet. And turn around or I shall stick you hard"

Hannibal complies and a few minutes later Will returns from the dressing room.

"Well. That was. Something. No pins in me. What are you fitting for?"

"Something summer weight. I usually go to Florence in the late Spring. Or to Japan, for the sakura"

"Yes? Sounds interesting. Have you seen the shiru castles?"

Hannibal smiles, Will is much wider read than he sometimes gives him credit.

"Of course. Have you been?"

Will blinks, he's presenting a carefully honed persona here but he's more than just a simpering fool,

"Yeah. Couple of times. Spent a month there one year when I was recovering from a gunshot wound"

Hannibal looks at him. How extraordinary. The things he has still to discover about Will Graham, he tries a short sentence in Japanese which Will returns with ease.

"Yeah. I learnt enough to get by. Bev leant me a Hello Kitty learn Japanese book too. She bought it for her niece, there's a version in Korean as well, she wanted to encourage her"

There are several bits of the conversation Hannibal is piqued by. But there will be time for that. 

"Any other language skills of which I should be aware?"

"My Latin is ok. And my Ancient Greek is adequate. French, of course. And some reasonable Italian. Oh and obviously Spanish"

Hannibal just looks at him,

"Oh"

Will grins,

"I know, right? No one would guess. But the empath thing is good for languages. Not just murdering psychopaths. Anyway the colours are good on you."

He gestures at the suit Hannibal is wearing and he and Madame Pomfrey exchange looks.

"That's clear then. We'll come back late this afternoon for the suit. Is that alright Yvette? Will?"

Madame Pomfrey nods. She's rather intrigued about how this is going to turn out. Oh yes, her Hannibal might have met his match here.

Will shrugs nonchalantly,

"Sure. I did say I was all yours today. What's next? Lunch?"

Hannibal nods weakly. This is a different side to Will. And he's not quite sure what to make of it just yet. Will turns towards Madame Pomfrey,

"Thank you so much. I'm sorry it was such late notice for you. I promise to look after the suit very carefully"

"If it looks good on you promise to get in the society pages? Yes?"

Will blows out his cheeks,

"Alright. Seems like a fair exchange. We'll give it a go. I can't believe Dr L is any stranger to that kind of press."

She smiles back at him and then closes the door after them. Oh yes. Very interesting indeed.


End file.
